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LG LJ5500 TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Sep 11, 2017 at 09:05 am
Latest change: Test bench update Mar 12, 2018 at 02:53 pm
LG LJ5500 Picture
6.0
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
5.1
Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.7
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.9
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
6.9
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench
3.9
HDR Movies
3.9
HDR Gaming
6.7
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Not at the latest test bench

The LG LJ5500 is an entry-level 1080p smart TV which features LG's WebOS platform. It has a relatively wide viewing angle, making it better than average for use in a wider living room. Unfortunately, its picture quality leaves a lot to be desired, and its 1080p resolution is a bit antiquated. It is the same TV as the LJ550M found at BestBuy and the LJ5000 and LG500M are variants without smart features.

Our Verdict

6.0 Mixed Usage

Poor TV for a mixed usage. The LG LJ5500's shortcomings stack up well above its positives, and its below average picture quality greatly reduces its capabilities with every usage.

Pros
  • WebOS is one of the best smart platforms available.
  • Picture quality remains good at an angle.
Cons
  • 1080p resolution
  • Subpar picture quality
5.1 Movies

Not a good TV for watching movies in dark room. The LJ5500's blacks are shallow and very cloudy making them quite distracting, and its 1080p resolution means it cannot fully take advantage of modern content.

6.7 TV Shows

Average TV for watching cable or broadcast television. The LJ5500 gets bright enough for most rooms, and it handles reflections decently. Its WebOS smart features also make it easy to access content. Unfortunately, static content such as network logos are retained for a few minutes, and the overall picture quality is subpar.

6.9 Sports

The LJ5500 does a decent job with sports broadcasts. Its wide viewing angle means watching it from the sides won't affect the picture quality too much, and it handles fast motion quite well. Unfortunately, its uniformity could be better, and static on-screen content can sometimes be retained for a few minutes.

6.9 Video Games

Passable TV for gaming. The LJ5500 has low motion blur, so fast motion doesn't have any distracting trails. Its input lag is also fairly low, which keeps games responsive and immersive. Unfortunately, the TV's poor overall picture quality reduces the quality of the experience.

3.9 HDR Movies

The LJ5500 does not support HDR.

3.9 HDR Gaming

The LJ5500 does not support HDR.

6.7 PC Monitor

Mediocre TV to use as a PC monitor. While it is capable of 4:4:4 chroma and has no major issues with viewing angles, its 1080p resolution is less than ideal for productivity and its input lag could be better. It also lacks niche features like a 120hz input.

  • 6.0 Mixed Usage
  • 5.1 Movies
  • 6.7 TV Shows
  • 6.9 Sports
  • 6.9 Video Games
  • 3.9 HDR Movies
  • 3.9 HDR Gaming
  • 6.7 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Mar 12, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  2. Updated Sep 11, 2017: Review published.
  3. Updated Sep 09, 2017: Early access published.
  4. Updated Sep 06, 2017: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Aug 04, 2017: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 43" (43LJ5500). For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 49" (49LJ5500) and 55" (55LJ5500).

If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their LG LJ5500 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review. The LG LJ5000 and LG LJ550M are very similar LED TVs but lack the WebOS smart features.

Size Model BestBuy Model
43" 43LJ5500 43LJ550M
49" 49LJ5500 49LJ550M
55" 55LJ5500 55LJ550M

Compared To Other TVs

Comparison picture

Top left: TCL S405 (43S405). Bottom left: Sony X720E (KD43X720E). Middle: LG LJ5500 (43LJ5500). Top right: Vizio E Series 2017 (E65-E1). Bottom right: TCL P607 (55P607).  Unlike our other photographs, this picture wasn't taken under a controlled environment, so do not draw conclusions from it.

The LG LJ5500 isn't a very good TV, and at its price, there are better options available. If you're capable of stretching your budget a little bit, TVs that perform much better are also available. See our recommendations for the best budget TVs.

TCL S Series/S305 2018
28" 32" 40" 43" 49"

For those with bright rooms and wide seating arrangements, the LG LJ5500 is a better choice than the TCL S Series/S305 2018 due to its wide viewing angles and higher brightness. However, if you will be sitting right in front and enjoy watching movies in a dark room, then the TCL S305 is a better choice as it has better blacks due to the higher native contrast ratio and better black uniformity.

TCL S Series/S405 4k 2018
43" 49" 55" 65"

The TCL S Series/S405 4k 2018 is a much better TV than the LG LJ5500. The TCL has 4K resolution, better contrast, and better black uniformity, which is great if you watch movies in a dark room. The TCL also has better input lag and a faster response time that make it a better choice if you play games. On the other hand, the LG LJ5500 has an IPS panel and thus has better viewing angles.

TCL 1 Series/D100
32" 40" 49"

The TCL D100 is a better choice if you have a dim room and will be sitting right in front. The D100 has a better contrast ratio and a better black uniformity, and thus blacks look deep, and the overall picture quality is improved. On the other hand, if you will be viewing the TV from the side, then the LG LJ5500 is a better choice due to the better viewing angles. The LG LJ5500 is a smart TV and runs LG's WebOS, whereas the TCL D100 has no smart features. To get access to smart features on the D100, you must connect it to an external device or a dongle.

Samsung M5300
32" 40" 43" 49" 50"

The Samsung M5300 is better than the LG LJ5500. The Samsung M5300 has better reflection handling and a wider viewing angle, so it will better suit a wider variety of rooms. The M5300 also has an optional motion interpolation feature which the LJ5500 lacks. This optional feature can clear up motion but introduces some artifacts. The LG LJ5500 is better able to remove judder from 24p sources, which the M5300 can't do.

Vizio D Series 1080p 2017
24" 32" 39" 40" 43" 48" 50" 55"

The LG LJ5500 and the Vizio D Series 1080p 2017 have very similar performance. The Vizio D Series 1080p 2017 has better reflection handling, which is great for bright rooms, whereas the LG LJ5500 has somewhat better SDR peak brightness which helps it fight glare when watched in bright rooms. The Vizio D Series 1080p 2017 has marginally better viewing angles and is slightly better for use as a PC monitor as it shows no problem with temporary image retention.

+ Show more

Test Results

Design
6.5
Design
Style
Curved No

The design of the LJ5500 is basic and similar to most other LG TVs is the 6 series such as the UJ6300. It won't stand out in a room but is functional with quite easy to access inputs and has a wide stand that supports the TV well.

Design
Stand

Similar to most other LG TVs, the LJ5500 has a stand almost as wide as the TV. It is made of plastic but does support the TV well.

Footprint of the 43" TV stand: 7.3" x 33.4"

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 200x200

The LJ5500 has a simple plastic back. It does look a bit better than most low-mid range TVs due to the molded plastic. Most of the inputs are out the side of the TV and so easy to access if placed close to a wall, but legacy inputs may be difficult to connect when wall mounted.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.71" (1.8 cm)

The borders of the TV have an average thickness, but look quite good due to the smooth plastic.

Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 3.27" (8.3 cm)

The TV appears quite thick when viewed from an angle but this isn't too much of an issue. It will stick out slightly if wall mounted.

Design
Temperature
Maximum Temperature
97 °F (36 °C)
Average Temperature
91 °F (33 °C)

The front of the TV stays fairly cool, and the back only gets warm to the touch in a few spots, the warmest being near where the power cord plugs into the TV.

6.0
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is decent. Everything is made of plastic but fits together quite well without too much play. It is not likely to be an issue with normal use.

Picture Quality
6.2
Picture Quality
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,140 : 1
Contrast with local dimming
N/A

The LJ5500 has a sub-par native contrast ratio for an LED TV. When compared to other IPS TVs though, with a contrast ratio of 1140, it is in the middle of the pack for this type of panel.

This low contrast ratio means that when set in a dark room, the blacks won't be very black, but will look more like gray than really black. Fortunately, this is less noticeable when the TV is set in a room with a good lighting since the room ambiant light will render less noticeable this low contrast ratio.

0
Picture Quality
Local Dimming
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Direct

The LJ5500 does not have a local dimming feature. The video is for reference only.

7.0
Picture Quality
SDR Peak Brightness
SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
251 cd/m²
SDR Peak 2% Window
273 cd/m²
SDR Peak 10% Window
274 cd/m²
SDR Peak 25% Window
275 cd/m²
SDR Peak 50% Window
276 cd/m²
SDR Peak 100% Window
277 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 2% Window
272 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 10% Window
273 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 25% Window
273 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 50% Window
274 cd/m²
SDR Sustained 100% Window
274 cd/m²
SDR ABL
0.000

Decent SDR peak brightness, good enough for a moderately lit room but may appear too dim in a bright room. The brightness remains consistent no matter the content shown, which is good.

0
Picture Quality
HDR Peak Brightness
HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
N/A
HDR Peak 2% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 10% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 25% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 50% Window
N/A
HDR Peak 100% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 2% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 10% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 25% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 50% Window
N/A
HDR Sustained 100% Window
N/A
HDR ABL
N/A

HDR is not supported.

6.7
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
5.267%
50% DSE
0.214%
5% Std. Dev.
0.697%
5% DSE
0.095%

The LJ5500 overall gray uniformity is average. Looking at our 50% gray uniformity picture, the main thing that catches the eyes is the 2 brighter spots in the top left part of the screen. The corners and sides are also a bit darker than the rest of the screen and the bottom part is a bit warmer than the top. Dirty screen effect is visible, unfortunately, especially while watching sports like hockey of soccer.

The uniformity in the darker shade of gray is much better than the 5 percent though, and not much can be noticed at all on that aspect.

6.2
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Shift
22°
Brightness
28°
Black Level
75°

Mediocre viewing angle, even for a TV with an IPS panel, but better than almost all TVs with VA panels. Brightness decreases and colors shift when the TV is viewed from a small angle, but the black level remains very consistent which is good.

4.5
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Native Std. Dev.
2.971%
Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
N/A

The LJ5500's black uniformity is bad. Some flashlighting is visible near both top corners. Some clouding was also visible here and there with some darker patches near the lower corners. Overall, the screen is not very uniform and this will be particularly visible in dark scenes in movies or TV shows.

6.6
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
6.0%
Indirect Reflections
2.2%

The reflection handling of the LJ5500 is quite good. It has a semi-gloss finish which diffuses direct reflections across the screen, reducing their intensity. It is fine for an average room, but in a bright room, reflections may be an issue.

6.6
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
Picture Mode
Expert (Dark Room)
White Balance dE
4.16
Color dE
3.91
Gamma
2.22
Color Temperature
6,415 K

Out of the box, when the LG LJ5500 is set to the 'Expert (Dark room)' picture setting, and with the 'Warm2' color temperature, the overall accuracy is below average. If the TV is set to another picture mode or one of the other color temperature, then the accuracy is even more disappointing.

The white balance is a bit on the warmer side, but just slightly, and the dE is higher than what we would like (4.16), as an avid enthusiast could notice there is something a bit off here. The gamma is not too bad though since even if the curve is not flat, we still end up with 2.22, which is not too far from our target. The only small issue with the gamma is in the lower stimulus level, where the TV might loose some contrast in the very dark region, but besides that, it looks good.

The color accuracy is also a bit high with a dE of 3.91. Most of the issues here derive from the fact that the white point is a bit off and thus, all the other colors follow. Only the yellow and blue are a bit more off target than the rest.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
Picture Mode
Expert (Dark Room)
White Balance dE
0.17
Color dE
1.44
Gamma
2.19
Color Temperature
6,500 K

After calibration, the LJ5500 shows excellent accuracy. Both the white balance dE and color dE are much more precise and accurate. There is only a small imperfection in the lower stimulus, but this did cause a problem and we could not fix it without causing more trouble.

The only downside here is that the whole process was pretty inconsistent, as the 2 point, 20 points white balance and color space management were not very accurate and responsive. In the 20 points white balance control, each point was affecting up to 2 or 3 points higher, make the whole process a bit longer. This was a bit of a surprise, as much of the 2017 LG line up that we did calibrate had very responsive and precise control over the white balance.

In the end, the calibration was still a plus and the result was good, but it only took a bit more time to do than usual.

You can see our recommended settings here.

8.0
Picture Quality
480p Input

Upscaling of low-quality content such as DVDs is quite good. The image is a bit softer than usual, but edges remain defined.

8.0
Picture Quality
720p Input

720p content such as cable is upscaled well. Unlike most other LG TVs, very few halo artifacts are visible along edges which is good. Details are preserved.

10
Picture Quality
1080p Input

Content at the TVs native 1080p resolution looks good. No issues can be seen.

0
Picture Quality
4k Input

The LJ5500 doesn't support a 4k input.

6.6
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
No
DCI P3 xy
72.49%
DCI P3 uv
79.63%
Rec 2020 xy
52.01%
Rec 2020 uv
58.02%

Standard color gamut, but good enough for SDR content using the Rec 709 color space.

4.9
Picture Quality
Color Volume
Normalized DCI P3 Coverage ITP
57.0%
10,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
21.0%
Normalized Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
40.4%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
14.8%

Poor color volume. The TV's standard color gamut and low contrast ratio prevent it from showing a lot of colors at a range of brightness levels.

9.2
Picture Quality
Gradient
Color Depth
10 Bit
Red (Std. Dev.)
0.076
Green (Std. Dev.)
0.076
Blue (Std. Dev.)
0.068
Gray (Std. Dev.)
0.073

The LG LJ5500 performs excellent on our gradient test. Almost no banding at all can be seen on our test picture, besides some little irregularities in the dark green. No 8-bit banding can be seen at all. This is one of the best gradients with have tested yet in 2017.

6.6
Picture Quality
Temporary Image Retention
IR after 0 min recovery
1.24%
IR after 2 min recovery
0.06%
IR after 4 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 6 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 8 min recovery
0.00%
IR after 10 min recovery
0.00%

The LG LJ5500 IPS TV does present some image retention. After the 10 minutes burn-in scene, as we can see on our test picture, the image retention is easily noticeable, but after 2 minutes of recovery, the retention is already very faint and almost non-noticeable.

Even if this result is disappointing, overall, when you compare to other TV, VA panel TVs especially, the fact that the retention clears up pretty fast is good news and when compared to other IPS TVs tested before, the LJ5500 would be in the middle of the group performance wise.

10
Picture Quality
Permanent Burn-In Risk
Permanent Burn-In Risk
No

Although some IPS panels can suffer from temporary image retention, this doesn't appear to be permanent as seen in our long-term test.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Type LED
Sub-Type
IPS

The chevron shape of the IPS pixels can be seen.

Motion
7.7
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
8.4 ms
100% Response Time
17.2 ms

The response time is good, resulting in short trails following fast-moving objects. The LCD panel response is very similar to that of the UJ7700 from 2017 and the LH5700 from 2016.

4.0
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
120 Hz

The LG LJ5500 uses PWM at 120Hz to dim the backlight, starting at 100/100 backlight setting. Lowering the setting shortens the duty cycle, while amplitude remains constant. Backlight PWM helps clear up motion slightly, but results in duplicate images following fast-moving objects, visible in the motion blur picture.

5.4
Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
No
Min Flicker for 60 fps
120 Hz
60 Hz for 60 fps
No
120 Hz for 120 fps
N/A
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
120 Hz

The LJ5500 has no optional BFI setting to reduce its flicker frequency to 60 Hz, though its 120 Hz PWM backlight does help somewhat to make motion more clear.

0
Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
No
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

The LJ5500 has no motion interpolation features, so fans of the soap opera effect may be disappointed.

8.1
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
24.5 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
0.0 ms

The LJ5500 is great at displaying movies and sports without any stutter. The LCD response time helps to blur the transition between frames, producing smooth movement even for movies.

7.8
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
No
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The LJ5500 can display without judder 24p movies only from 24 sources and this when the 'Real Cinema' option (from the 'Picture Option' menu). 24p movies playing from 60p/60i sources do present some judder, and unfortunately, there is no way to remove it.

0
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
4k VRR Maximum
N/A
4k VRR Minimum
N/A
1080p VRR Maximum
N/A
1080p VRR Minimum
N/A
VRR Supported Connectors
N/A

The LG LJ5500 has a 60Hz panel without support for more advanced features such as FreeSync.

Inputs
8.6
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
27.2 ms
1080p @ 60Hz + HDR
N/A
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
59.6 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz + HDR
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
N/A
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
N/A
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
N/A
4k With Interpolation
N/A
4k @ 120 Hz
N/A
4k with Variable Refresh Rate
N/A
1080p with Variable Refresh Rate
N/A

Great low input lag, which should please all but the most competitive gamers. The 'Game' picture mode has the lowest input lag, even in PC mode. PC mode on most other LG TVs has low input lag for all picture modes, but this is not the case with this TV, as only the Game picture mode has low input lag.

1.7
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 1080p
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
No
4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 60Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 120Hz
No

Because this TV only has a 1080p @ 60 Hz panel, many common resolutions aren't supported. 4:4:4 color is only shown properly when the input's icon is set to PC (aka 'PC mode').

Inputs
Side Inputs
Inputs
Rear Inputs
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 2
USB 1
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 1 (shared)
Composite In 1 (shared)
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
SD/SDHC 0
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
No
Dolby Vision
No
HLG
No
3D
No
5.1 Passthrough ARC Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough ARC DTS
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical Dolby Digital
Yes
5.1 Passthrough Optical DTS
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
No
HDMI 2.1 Full Bandwidth
No
ARC
Yes (HDMI 1)
USB 3.0
No
HDCP 2.2 No
CEC Yes
MHL No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Sound Quality
5.6
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
134.54 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.48 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.56 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
6.15 dB
Max
83.3 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.63 dB

Disappointing frequency response. While the LJ5500 follows the target very well, its limited low-frequency extension makes it sound quite thin. It also has a fair amount of dynamic range compression at higher volumes, and it doesn't get very loud at all.

7.6
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.064
Weighted THD @ Max
0.465
IMD @ 80
0.69%
IMD @ Max
3.78%

Good distortion performance. While there is a rise in IMD at higher volumes, the levels are low throughout. THD also remains low at max volume which is unusual.

Smart Features
8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS WebOS
Version 3.6
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Average
Time Taken to Select YouTube
3 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
10 s
Advanced Options
Many

LG's webOS interface is split into three sections: settings, inputs, and apps. Each section has its own button on the remote, a quick menu, and a full menu containing advanced options. This shortens the number of steps needed to find what you're looking for, but the separated nature may be confusing for first-time users.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

The TV has ads in the LG content store and in search results. There is no way to opt out of them.

8.0
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Many
App Smoothness
Average
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
N/A
HDR in Netflix
N/A
HDR in Amazon Video
N/A
HDR in YouTube
N/A

Many popular apps come pre-installed on the TV, such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Video. The LG Content Store has a lot of apps available for download, but not quite as many as on Samsung or Android TVs.

6.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Medium
Voice Control
No
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
No

This TV comes with the basic LG remote, which is mid-size and light despite offering a lot of buttons. Unfortunately, the rubber chunk buttons aren't as easy to press as the remotes of most other TVs. Most commonly used buttons are within easy reach of the direction pad which is good, but unfortunately the inputs button is in the top right hand corner and is hard to reach with one hand.

7.0
Smart Features
Remote App
Acts as the Remote
Yes
Directly Launches Apps and Inputs
Both
Inputs Text in YouTube
No
Inputs Text in Netflix
No
Streams Device Files
Yes
Controls TV Settings
No
Voice Control
No

The LG remote app has some useful features, such as streaming files off the device running the app, but is missing some other features like text entry.

Smart Features
TV Controls

The TV has only one physical button, which brings up a menu with six icons: power, inputs, volume up/down and channel up/down. A short press changes icons and a long press activates them.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Manual
  • Batteries
  • Remote
  • Cable management tie

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 28 W
Power Consumption (Max) 58 W
Firmware 03.60.01